Electric cooking device



Dec. 29, 1953 A. WEHRLI 2,664,495

ELECTRIC COOKING DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l 4 A Q 5 Q n T Fig.2 5 5 5 8 )7 L Fi 3 27 2 3 3s ze\ M 33 1 I I I I I I I 8 t l :l

I i K IN V EN TOR.

Dec. 29, 1953 A. WEHRLI 2;ss4,49s

ELECTRIC COOKING DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1950 4 sawmrsheet 2 Dec. 29, 1953 A WEHRLI ELECTRIC COOKING DEVICE 4 ShebS-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 18, 1950 Fig.8

Dec. 29, 1953 A. WEHRLI 2,664,495

ELECTRIC cooxme DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 103 105 103 3 f 104 104- ,3 2; 10s A H IN V EN TOR. W 91.2% Y v imam H w Patented Dec. 29, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC COOKING DEVICE Alfred Wehrli, Islikon, Switzerland Application August 18, 1950, Serial No. 180,136

Claims priority, application Switzerland August 19, 1949 3 Claims. (01. 21943) The present invention relates to an electric cooking device which is provided with a housing, the walls of which are formed with a heat-1nsulating lining, and in which at least one electric heater is provided which is so constructed that it may receive at least part of the cooking vessel to be heated and may heat its outer surface as well as its bottom.

The electric quick cooker according to the invention enables the cooking vessels to be rapidly heated and is particularly suitable for preparing foods which have to be cooked. fried or steamed, quickly and at great heat. Cooking vessels may be used of a kind which are adapted to be completely inserted in the heater or heaters, and also cooking vessels having 2. lug which, being of smaller diameter at its lower end than e1sewhere, is adapted to engage in the heater or heaters.

The electric cooking device according to the invention may be formed with two electric heaters, one of which heats the bottom and the other at least part of the outer surface of the cooking vessel. The heater heating the outer surface of the cooking vessel may, furthermore, be divided into three or more plates which are movably mounted and which are pressed against the outer surface of the cooking vessel by means of springs, a mechanical lifting device being advantageously provided by means of which these movably mounted plates may be moved away from the outer surface of the cooking vessel when inserting and removing the cooking vessel. The heater heating the bottom of the cooking vessel may also be resiliently mounted in such manner that it is always pressed against the bottom of the cooking vessel.

Seven constructions of the device according to the invention and two modifications are diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a vertical section through the first construction of the electric cooking device,

Figure 2 is a lateral view of another cooking vessel which may be used in conjunction with the cooking device according to the invention,

Figure 3 is a vertical section through a second construction of the electric cooking device,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the cooking device according to Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a plan view of a third construction of the cooking device,

Figure 6 is a view of another cooking vessel with wire basket insert for use with the cooking device according to Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a vertical section of the fourth construction of the electric cooking device,

Figure 8 is a, section. along the line A-A of Figure 7,

Figure 9 is a vertical section of a fifth construction of the electric cooking device,

Figure 10 is a section along the line B-B of Figure 9,

Figure 11 is a vertical section of a sixth construction of the electric cooking device,

Figure 12 is a vertical section of a seventh construction of the electric cooking device,

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a modification of the electric cooking device, and,

Figure 14 is a perspective view of a further modification of the electric cooking device.

The electric cooking device according to Figure 1 comprises a housing I of circular or square section. In the upper part of the housing I there is mounted, on brackets 3, a lining 2 of heatinsulating material, on the inner surface of which there is provided an annular electric heating plate 4. In the housing I there is also mounted, on spring supports 5, a plate 6 of heat-insulating, electrically non-conducting material, on which is mounted a flat electric heating plate I. The heating plate 1 is connected by a cable 8, and the annular heating plate 4 by a cable 9 to a switch-box It] provided on the outside of the housing I, and in which are provided switches H and I 2 respectively for each of the two heating plates 4 and 1. A plug socket 3 for connecting a cable M in communication with a source of current supply is connected to the switch-box l 0.

By mounting the plate 6 on the spring support 5 the flat heating plate 7 is pressed against the bottom of a cooking vessel 15 inserted in the annular heating plate 4; diiierences in the heights of various cooking vessels may be equalised by the fact that the cooking vessel by its weight presses the heating plate 7 more or less downwardly until the rim 16 of the vessel l5 rests on the upper annular surface of the heating plate 4 thus covering the space between it and the annular heating plate 4.

Instead of the cooking vessel 45, which rests completely on the annular heating plate 4, a cooking vessel 11 (Figure 2) may also be used which is formed at the bottom with a shoulder l8 and a projecting part IQ of lesser diameter, the part is alone engaging the annular heating plate 4, and the shoulder I 8 resting on the upper annular surface of the heating plate 4.

The electric cooking device according to Figures 3 and 4 is formed with a housing 29, in

which on spring support 21 there is mounted a plate of electrically non-conducting, heatinsulating material, on which is provided a circula-r electric heatin plate 23. In this construction, for heating the outer surface of the cooking vessel, in theupper part of the housing 2% four electric heating plates 24 are provided each of which forms a quarter of a cylinder and which are provided on their outside with a heat-insulating lining 25. The heating plates 2d are each provided on their outer surfaces with two guide 1 bolts 26 which are guided in guides 21 provided on the inside of the housing 25. Around the guide bolts 2s and the guides 2?. pressure springs are provide which press the heating plates 24 radially inward, that is to say,'against the outer surface of the cooking vessel. The heating plates 2% are of such dimensions that, when resting on the outer surface of the cooking vessels, there is a maximum space between themof F 2 mm. On. the outside of the housingZt there is provided a switch-box 29 on which there .is' also provided a plug socket 30 for the plug 5! of a connecting cable. The heating plate 2.3 con nected by a cable '32 with aswitch 33 or the heating the outer surface ofthe cooking vessel there are provided four 'flat electric heating plates 2 5' which are provided on the outside with heat insulating linings 25'. These heating plates 24 are provided on their on sides with two guide bolts 26' each of which is guided in a guide 2i" mounted on the inner surface of the housing 29'. On the guide bolts 26' and the guides 21" there are provided pressure springs it which press the heating plates 2:3 inwardly. The heating plates 25 are of such dimensions that a space of a maximum of 2 mm. exists at the corners between them, when they rest on the outer surface of the cooking vessel. The remaining parts of this cooking device correspond exactly to those of the cooking device described with reference to Figures 3 and Figure 6 is the cooking device for use with the cooking vessel according to Figure 5, and which serves particularly for the preparation of food which is fried in deep fat (fritters). The cooking vessel 35 of rectangular section has at the bottom a projecting part 38, also of rectangular form, with shorter edge lengths, which is destined to be inserted in the cooking device. In the cooking vessel 35 there is mounted a closely fitting wire basket 39 which may be lifted out. The food to be cooked in the boiling fat contained in the cooking vessel 36 is placed in the wire basket 39 and after being cooked, lifted in the basket from the cooking vessel 36.

In the electric cooking device illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, in the middle of the bottom of a cylindrical housing 6!, there is mounted a circular, plate-like base Q2 of electrically non-conducting material, on which a round fiat heating plate is provided at the bottom with a heat- I insulating lining it, is mounted on four pressure springs 3. The heating wires, denoted by the reference 56, of the heating plate at, which are embedded in a ceramic mass, are connected b flexible copper strips with clamping pieces, not shown in the drawing, provided in the base 2, and from which a cable provided with head insulation leads to the switch provided on the outside of the jacket of the housing 4!. Around the heating plate i'our curved vertical heating plates are provided which have on their outsides heat-insulating linings 5i, and which, when completely slid together, form a hollowcylinder', surrounding the heating plate and surmountingit, the inner diameter (of the hollow cylinder) c 'rresponding to the diameter of the heating plate &5. The heating wires 52 embedded in a ceramic mass, of the heating platestll are connected by flexible caliles provided with bead insulation, with clamping pieces is disposed .onthe circumference of the base 2,

to whichare connected the conductors oi a cable also provided with bead insulation, which leads tov asecond switch 5i; provided on the outside ofthe jacket of the housing ti. On'the jacket of the hOLlSillg' ii there is further provided a plug socket 52', from which the cables, provided with head insulation, branch off to the switches 5-5 and Eli which serve to connect the cooking device to a source of current by means of a cable 3: 'rovided with a plug 58.

on the outer face and in the middle of each heating plate 39 there is provided a support 55 extendin radially outward. The support 66 is displaceable in the guide #32 mounted radially in the intermediate bottom ti fixedly mounted in the upper part of the housing A pressure spring bears at the bottom on the outer extremity of the guide 52, and presses the support 69 with heating plate connected to it inwardly against theheating plate To each sup-port til there is. secured the end of a wire cable t l which is led over guide rolls 53 and 66 mounted on the inside wall of the housing ti and the other end of which is secured to a common ring ti, rotatably mounted on the base it, and on which is provided a lever 53 the end of which extends through a slit 68 in the jacket of the housing 5 I. By means of the lever E8 the ring 8": may be rotated. on the base which results in they sup: ports with the heating plates 55 mounted on them being pulled together, over the wire ropes es, outwardly in opposition to the effects of the pressure springs 63 acting on them. In the position in which the heating plates til are in their. outermost position, the lever =38 may engage in a.

notch it provided in the jacket of the housing ll in such manner that the heating plates 5d are fixed in this position until the lever 58 is disengaged from the notch. The housing M is formed with a cover plate "i2, stiffened by rib ii, the opening of which re' eives the cooking vessel and the inner edge of which serves as a support for the cooking vessel] The radially displaceable heating plates in their outermost position are disposed completely below the annular cover plate 32 thus laying the openin completely open Whilst in their innermost position, that is to say, when they rest on the round heatin plate 45, they project partly from the inner edge of the cover plate 12.

For this cooking device, similar cooking vessels may be used as for the cooking devices first described. After the heating plates 59 have been brought into their outermost position by means 'f'of the lever 68, the cooking Vessel is inserted in" the opening-bi he cover pate n; the heating p1ate'45pressing downwardly in opposition 'to the action of the pressure springs 43 acting on it until the flange rests on the inner edge of the cover plate 12 closing the housing Mat the top. 7

heating plate 45 and the heating plates may then be switched-on by means of the switches 49 and 56. As thus not only the bottom of the frying pan, but also its side wall is heated, ,arapid and strong heating results which is of great advantage for the preparation of many tasty foods. It is possible to switch on the heating plate 45 only, or only the heating plates 50 if this is more advantageous for the preparation of certain dishes. The switches 49 and may also be con structed as intermittent switches.

The electric cooking device illustrated in Figures 9 and 1c is provided with a prismatic housing 13 of rectangular section. In the middle or the bottom of the housing 13 there is provided acircular plate-like base 74 of electrically nonconducting material on which is mounted, on four spring supports I5, an electric heating plate 71 provided at the bottom with a lining is of electrically non-conducting material and of rectangular section. Around the heating plate TI there are provided, parallel to the side walls of the housing 13, four vertical heating plates 78 which are provided on their outer surfaces with a heat-insulating lining 19. Each of these heating plates 18 is provided on its outer face with a guide peg 80 which is guided in a guide housing 8I provided in the corresponding lateral wall of the housing I3. In this guide housing ill there are inserted pressure springs 82 which press the heating plates 18 inwardly. The four heating plates 18 limit a prismatic space, lying above the heating plate 11, which receives a corresponding prismatic projecting part of a cooking vessel, to the side walls of which the heating plates 18 are pressed by means of the pressure springs 82, the size of the heating plates 78 being such that, when they rest on the lateral walls of the projecting part of the cooking vessel, only very small spaces are left. To each heating plate 18 there is connected one end of a lever 83, the other end of which is pivotally mounted on an axis 84 at the bottom of the housing 13. On the base I4 there is rotatably mounted a ring 85 on the circumference of which are provided four pivots 88; On each of the pivots 86 there is mounted a guide 81, the inner end of which, having an inner thread, extends through an opening in one of the levers 83. Inside each lever 83Jlies an adjusting nut 88,

screwed on the thread of the guide 81, and which is fixed in its position by a lock-nut 89. On the ring 85 is secured a hand lever which extends through a slit 9| provided on the front of the housing 73. With the aid of this hand lever 90 the ring 85 may be rotated between two end positions. When the heating plates 78 rest on the walls of the projecting part of the cooking vessel, the guides 8'! are in an inclined position relative to the radial direction (Figure 10). When the ring 85 is turned to its other end position by means of the hand lever 00, the guides 87 are brought into the radial direction part of the cooking vessel.

and 8.

onto stimewhatbyond'the dead point position,

theadjusting-nuts 88 on the threads pressing the levers '83 outwardly which results in the heating plates 18 connected with them being removed from the side walls of the projecting In other respects, the cooking device corresponds to the cooking device described with reference to Figures '7 Thecooking device according to Figure 11 is a modification of the cooking device according to Figures 3 and 4. 92 is a cylindrical or rectangular housing in which is disposed a heating plate 93, heating the bottom of the cooking vesseLaIid-Which is provided at the bottom with an electrically non-conducting heat insulating lining 94, and four vertical heating plates heating the outer surface of the cooking vessel, and which are also provided on the outside with a heat insulating, electrically non-conducting lining 96. The heating plates are provided on 'the outside with two guide bolts 91 each of which is guided in guide boxes t3 provided on the inside of the housing 92. On the guide bolts 91 and the guide boxes 98, there are provided pressure springs 99 which press the heating plates 95 inwardly, that is to say, against the outer surface of the cooking vessel. The heat ing plate 93 is mounted on hearing supports I09 which are provided with detachable elongating members I 0|. If the bearing supports I00 are used without the elongating members IBI, the cooking device corresponds exactly to the constructions described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The power supply and the arrangement of the switches are exactly the same. If, however, the bearing supports I 00 with the elongating members IOI are used, the heating plate 95 lies by approximately 2 mm. above the cover plate of the housing 92, and it may now be used exactly as a normal electric heating plate.

The same purpose is aimed at in the construction of the cooking device according to Figure 12, in which I02 denotes the housing, and I03 four electric heating plates disposed in its upper part and provided on the outside with a heat-insulating lining I04 heating the outer surface of a cooking vessel. A heating plate I05 heating the bottom of the cooking vessel and provided at the bottom with a heat-insulating lining I96, is mounted on a column I B? which is displaceably guided in a vertical guide 08. At the lower end'of this column I0! there is p-ivotally mounted one of the shanks of a two-shanked lever I90 which is mounted on a bearing support H0 in the housing I02. The other hank of the lever I09 extends through a slit III in the wall of the housing I02 and is constructed as a hand lever. By pressing the lever I09 down and engaging it in a notch IIZ provided in the wall of the housing I02 the heating plate I05 may be lifted up to approximately 2 mm. above the cover plate of the housing I02 and locked in this position. When the lever I 00 is disengaged from the notch II2, the heating plate 555 may be lowered until it rests on the resilient supports I I3 provided on it. The power supply for the heating plates I03 and I05 and the arrangement of the switches are the same as in the constructions previously described.

Corresponding devices for lifting the electric heating plate and heating the bottom of the cooking vessel may also be provided in the other constructions described above.

In Figure '13 there is shown a cooking device ably and res similar. toa rechaud (small stove) which is provided with a prismatic housing l i l. {The electric heating plate heating the bottom of the housing and vertically displaceable is denoted by the refoutermost position of the heating plates Ill, in

notch lZi 'housing lhl.

or" the slit H9 in thewall of the The cookingdevice according to Figure is has the form of a cooking stove in the top plate I22, of which, there are inserted two cooking devicesof the kind described. One of the cooking d e vices has an electric heating plate l2 31heating the cooking vessel, and is displaceently mounted, and three radially displaceable electric heating plates 12 heat the outer surface of the cooking vessel. On the front of the housing there is provided an intermittent switch 25 for the heating plate i 23 and an intermittent switch 525 for the heating plates I25. For the displacement of the plates E2 pressed inwardly by the action of springs there is provided at the front of the cooking stove a foot lever l2"! which acts on the heating plates EM through a rod. The other cooking device has a vertically displaceaole and resiliently mounted rectangular electric heating plate 228 heating the bottom of the cooking vessel and for which at the front of the cooking stove there is provided an intermittent switch 29 and four-vertical displaceably mounted electric heating plates l3!) disposed around the heating plate 423, and heating the lateral walls of a cooking vessel, and for which there is provided at the front of the cooking stove an intermittent switch ii. For raising the heating plates 13?! from the side walls of the cooking vessel there is provided at the front of the cooking stove a second foot lever which acts through a rod on the heating plates I30 which are acted on by springs. In the cooking stove there is further provided an oven I33 and a dish-heating oven [3% for which two further intermittent switches I35 and 135 are provided at the front of the cooking stove. As the cooking vessels, during cooking, are held fast between the heating plates I28 and 38 espectively, they need not be held when turning over or stirring the boiling food. This enables a person to supervise and attend to both cooking vessels at the same time.

I claim:

1. In an electric stove in combination, a'supporting casing; at least three electricheating the bottom elements located inside said supporting casing and having substantially vertical heating surfaces facing one another and defining a well for receiving a cooking vessel, each of said'electric heating elements being supported said supporting casing for movement in a horizontal di rection between an inner operative position and an outer inoperative pos' lion, and adapted to engage in said inner operative position the side walls of a cooking vessel placed in said well; at least three first spring means located in said supporting casing, each of said first sping-means having one end abutting against-said supporting ,casing and the other endurging one of said elec- Y trio heating elements into operative position; manually operated means mounted in said supporting casing and connected to said electric 5 heating elements for retracting the same against the action of said first spring means from said operative into said inoperative position; means for holding said manually operated means ina position corresponding to said inoperative position of said heating elements against the action of said first spring means; at least one second spring means located below said well in said supporting casing and having one end abutting against said, supporting casing; and at least one electricheating unit located in said we1l 'resiliently supported by the other end of said second spring means and urged upwardly by the same, said electric heating unit having a substantially horizontal heating top surface adapted to en gage the bottom face of a cooking vessel placed in said well, so that the weight of said cooking vessel forces said electric heating unit down- .wardly against the; action of said second spring means. I s 2. In an electric stove in combination, a supporting casing; four electric heating elements located inside said supporting casing and having substantially vertical arcuate heating surfaces facing one another and defining a cylindrical well for receiving a cooking vessel, each of said electric heating elements being supported in said supporting casing for movement in a horizontal direction between an inner operative position and an outer inoperative position, and adapted to engage in said inner operative position the side walls of a cooking vessel placed in said well; four first spring means located in said supporting casing, each of said first spring means having one end abutting against said supporting casing and the other end urging one of said electric heating elements into operative position; manually operated means mounted in said supporting-casing and connected to. said electric heating elements for retracting the same against the action of said first spring means from said operative into said inoperative position; means for holding said manually operated means in a position corresponding to said inoperative position of saidheating elements against the action of said first spring means; at least one second spring means located below said well in said supporting casing and having one end abutting against said supporting casing; and at least one electric circular heating unit located in said well resiliently supported by r the other end of said spring means and urged upwardly by the same, said electric heating unit having a substantially horizontal heating top surface adapted to engage the bottom face of a cooking vessel placed in said well, so that the weight of said cooking vessel forces said electric heating unit downwardly against the action of said second spring means until a projecting portion on the cooking vessel engages the upper rims of said heating elements. i

3. In an electric stove, in'combination, a supporting casing; a plurality of electric heating elements located inside said supporting casing and having substantially vertical oppositely ar ranged heating surfaces defining a well for re- 73 ceiving a cooking vessel, each of said electric-heating elements being supported .in said supporting casing for movement in a horizontal direction between an inner operative position and an outer inoperative position, and adapted to engage in 75 said inner operative positionthe side walls of :a

cooking vessel placed in said well; spring means located in said supporting casing abutting against the same and urging said electric heating elements into said operative position; manually op-- erated means mounted in said supporting casing and connected to said electric heating elements for retracting the same against the action of said spring means from said operative into said inoperative position; means for holding said manually operated mean in a position corresponding to said inoperative position of said heating elements against the action of said spring means; at least one further spring means located in said supporting casing below said heating elements and having one end abutting against said supporting casing; and at least one electric heating unit resiliently supported by the other end of said further spring means and urged upwardly by the same, said electric heating unit being adapted to engage the bottom face of a cooking vessel placed in said well between said heating elements.

ALFRED WEl-IRLI.

I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 5 Re. 19,717 Lipham Oct. 1, 1935 1,316,190 Sackerman Sept. 16, 1919 1,704,413 Wait Mar. 5, 1929 1,730,042 Pendleton Oct. 1, 1929 1,971,387 Scoville Aug. 28, 1934 1() 2,025,252 Stencell Dec. 2%, 1935 2,257,580 Trompeter Sept. 30, 1941 2,404,987 Rudd July 30, 1946 2,421,373 Cozza June 3, 1947 15 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 245,949 Switzerland Aug. 16, 1947 168,998 Great Britain July 16, 1937 584,817 Great Britain Jan. 23, 19 7 20 768,010 France July 30, 1934 

